York County elections will certify 10,654 write-in votes for Scott Wagner, local elections director Nikki Suchanic said Friday. So that will make Wagner the winner of the state Senate race to replace Mike Waugh.

Preliminary certification is scheduled to take place Monday, followed by final certification March 31.

In the database below, you can search a list of names voters wrote in. Suchanic said her office goes off the intent of the voter. So a write-in vote with just Wagner's last name counted for him. But in cases in which the intent was confusing, such as when people wrote in "Scott Miller," those didn't count for Wagner.

After the polls closed Tuesday evening, Ron Miller said his presumed loss to Republican write-in candidate Scott Wagner will be analyzed for some time to come.

So let's get started.

Advertisement

The official vote count starts today, but Wagner, 58, of Spring Garden Township, appears to have run a successful write-in campaign against Democratic nominee Linda Small of New Freedom and Miller, a Republican state representative from Jacobus.

Wagner is poised to fill the remainder of Mike Waugh's term in the state Senate through November, and he is also seeking a new four-year term for the 28th District.

So how did Wagner likely win?

Several people said mailers and commercials criticizing Republican write-in candidate Scott Wagner backfired. The Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee paid for campaign materials to criticize Wagner over a lawsuit involving his company from several years ago.
In the case, Springettsbury Township required all residents to pay for trash service, even if they didn't use it. The township's contract with Penn Waste required the company to handle billing and payment, because it saved Springettsbury money, a township supervisor said at the time. (Submitted)

Richard Gruver, who voted in West Manchester Township Tuesday evening, said he had a bunch of reasons for writing-in Wagner.

Gruver didn't like that Miller voted in favor of raising fuel taxes as part of November's transportation spending plan. Gruver thought some of the criticism directed at Wagner, the head of a recycling and waste collection company, was misleading. And he thought the timing of the whole standalone special election was rigged and a waste of money.

"I don't care much for this," he said.

York County Commissioner Chris Reilly, a Republican and Wagner supporter, said Wagner worked incredibly hard.

"And, frankly, he took advantage of some missteps," Reilly said.

Here's a look at five things that may have influenced voters, based on comments from candidates, supporters and political figures.

1. Wagner's strategy >> On Tuesday evening, Wagner said he and his supporters were told they faced an uphill battle.

"You will lose," Wagner recalled being told. "And if you lose, you will be wounded to go into the primary. That's what we heard."

He said the last 30 days or so were like being on a roller coaster.

"We knew that the political hit squad was coming to York," he told a crowd of supporters at Santander Stadium.

He said every day they had to evaluate where the "Scud missile" would come from.

Wagner said campaign members decided to run ads in January, because they knew attacks on Wagner would come at some point.

During the campaign, Wagner pledged not to accept a state pension or other benefits, and said he would limit himself to two full terms. Wagner talked about bringing fiscal responsibility to state government and controlling property taxes.

Bob Wilson, chairman of the York County Republican Campaign Committee and a Miller supporter, said Wagner's positive campaign materials about his business record were effective.

2. Money >> York County President Commissioner Steve Chronister, who didn't publicly support any of the state Senate candidates, said Wagner had money to get his message out.

Wagner's campaign raised more than $267,700 in 2013. The campaign received an additional $147,988 from Jan. 13 through March 3, which included a $100,000 loan from Wagner.

Wagner said he didn't have a single fundraiser. He said he made telephone calls, and more than 200 people agreed to contribute to his campaign in October, November and December.

Wagner's contributors included a number of prominent York County business leaders, including Charles Burnside, president of Maple Donuts; Scott Hartman, president of Rutter's Holdings; and Stephen Tansey, president of York Container.

Wagner had money for mailers and TV ads to compete against the hundreds of thousands of dollars that was spent by Miller's campaign and his supporters, which included the state GOP and the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee.

3. Negative ads >> Several people thought the attacks on Wagner backfired.

The Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee, which was backing Miller, described Wagner as a "millionaire trash man," criticized his business and criticized the company over a lawsuit from several years ago.

Wagner's company, Penn Waste Inc., sued Clara Palmer, of Springettsbury Township, over unpaid trash bills, the York Daily Record reported in 2004. She was 84 years old at the time.

Springettsbury Township required all residents to pay for trash service, even if they didn't use it. The township's contract with Penn Waste required the company to handle billing and payment, because it saved Springettsbury money, a township supervisor said at the time. A district justice ruled against Palmer, who paid Penn Waste $810.99, according to the Daily Record.

In campaign materials paid for by the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee, Palmer called Wagner a "bully."

Before the special election, Wagner said Palmer had a roughly $9 a month bill, which she refused to pay for years. He said people know that he is in business, and if he didn't collect fees, he'd be out of business.

He said the tactic would help him.

On Wednesday, several people agreed with that.

Wilson, with the local GOP, said the Palmer criticism ended up helping Wagner more than hurting him.

Leo Knepper, executive director of Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, and Scott Burkholder, a Wagner supporter and former president of the York 912 Patriots, both said the Palmer TV ad and similar criticism backfired.

"Everyone saw right through that," said Burkholder.

Chronister said he heard about that Palmer commercials and mailers often.

"A lot of people were not happy," Chronister said.

4. The special election date >> Waugh announced in August that he wouldn't be seeking re-election to the state Senate. Wagner announced his candidacy in September.

But Waugh left the Senate early. Gov. Tom Corbett in January picked him to become executive director of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.

Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley called for a standalone special election on March 18, instead of waiting until the May 20 primary. He and Senate Republican leaders said York County voters needed to be represented as the state budget and other issues are debated.

Wagner said the moves were part of a plot to make it harder for him to win the May 20 primary. He said GOP leaders wanted Miller to win the special election to make it harder for Wagner to defeat an incumbent Republican in the May 20 primary.

Wilson, chairman of the York County Republican Committee, said the atmosphere on an election day is usually cordial. But he said on Tuesday, people were either extremely upset or extremely quiet.

"I had have never witnessed anything along those lines," Wilson said.

5. Conservative support >> Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, which says it is committed to restoring limited government and economic freedom, through its political action committee paid for campaign materials to criticize Miller. Wagner has contributed to the group before.

Burkholder, the former president of the York 912 Patriots, said Wagner has been involved with their group, including as a contributor. He said the majority of members in the group who live in the district probably supported Wagner.

Chronister said tea party-leaning people were part of Wagner's base, but that Wagner had broader appeal.

"I think it was a win for the average person," Chronister said. "I think it was a win for the hope of property tax reform."

Contact Ed Mahon at 717-771-2089.

What's next

Nikki Suchanic, director of York County's elections and voter registration department, said the official count begins today.

The preliminary certification is scheduled for Monday, and the final certification is scheduled for March 31. Any formal objections to the results would have to take place before the final certification, she said.

Erik Arneson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, said those results have to also be certified by the Department of State before the swearing-in can take place.

The special election was to determine who would serve in the 28th state Senate seat through November. Democrat Linda Small of New Freedom is running uncontested in the May 20 primary for the new four year term. Scott Wagner of Spring Garden Township, Ron Miller of Jacobus and Zachary Hearn of Windsor Township are set to be on the GOP ballot, although Miller said after Tuesday's results that he's considering whether to still pursue that.